Step-Mother Arrested in drowning of 6-year-old stepson has criminal past

This is a local story that is still developing... thought you guys might find this interesting:

Woman arrested in drowning of 6-year-old stepson has criminal past including murder conviction

CORPUS CHRISTI — A Corpus Christi woman arrested in connection with the Friday drowning of her 6-year-old stepson has a criminal past that includes a 1982 murder conviction.

Laura Lee Day, 47, was arrested about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant issued for endangering a child, a second-degree felony, in the death of Taylor Syring. She was being held at the Nueces County Jail on $50,000 bail but posted bond early Wednesday and was released.

“I just want this all to pass,” Day said. “It’s been really hard.”

On May 11, 1982, Day, who was then 17, shot and killed her boyfriend, then turned the gun on herself, inflicting a shoulder wound, according to a report in The Baltimore Sun. She wanted to kill her boyfriend so the two could “be buried together,” according to the report.

Day pleaded guilty to second-degree murder that November. An Orange County, Calif., judge ordered her to the California Youth Authority, where she served seven years of a 17-year prison term until her release in March 1990, according to The Sun.

Day also was convicted of bigamy in August 1993, police said.

When Day was 28 and living in Maryland, she concurrently was married to a Howard County man and a Baltimore County man, according to The Sun. Police also believe she was married to at least one other man in Baltimore County.

Prosecutors did not seek jail time on the bigamy count, which carries a maximum nine-year prison sentence. A judge instead ordered Day to seek counseling.

Taylor’s mother, Kelly Syring, said she did not know about Day’s criminal history and only knew that her ex-husband, David, met Day through their jobs at a local fuel distributor.

Kelly and David Syring filed for divorce Jan. 15 while Day filed for divorce Feb. 23, according to Nueces County court records. Both divorces were official in May, and David Syring and Day married Aug. 5.

Kelly Syring had custody of Taylor, who was allowed to spend every other weekend with his father. Court orders allowed David Syring to have Taylor from 8 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday. Kelly Syring said within the past couple of visits David asked to take Taylor on Friday evenings. Kelly Syring allowed it, but did not know that Day would be the one picking Taylor up from school.

“He never asked if Laura could pick (Taylor) up from school,” Kelly Syring said. “I gave him permission, not her. If I knew she was picking him up, I would’ve said no.”

According to Day’s Tuesday arrest affidavit, she told police she picked Taylor up from school and he asked to go to the beach. Day told police the two went south of Bob Hall Pier about 6 p.m. Friday and Taylor had a life jacket on while they played in the water.

Taylor then got out of the water to take his life jacket off, went back in, and Day got out to lay on the beach, according to the affidavit. Day watched Taylor play until she noticed he was struggling. She went into the water, but couldn’t find him until she saw him floating face down, according to the affidavit.

She told police she blew into his mouth but did not administer chest compressions. She took him onto the beach, and he began to throw up water. Day then put Taylor in her Toyota FJ Cruiser and drove him to Corpus Christi Medical Center Bay Area, according to the affidavit.
Day told police she never administered CPR, never called 911 and never asked for help at the beach, according to the affidavit. She also told police she is a diver and is certified to perform CPR, according to the affidavit.
Kelly Syring said Taylor was not a strong swimmer and she wouldn’t have let him go into the water by himself.

Alissa Strambler, Kelly Syring’s sister, said the family has received support from the community, including people they don’t know. Strambler said a church member offered to help pay for the plot where Taylor will be buried.
A celebration of life for Taylor will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship, 6602 S. Staples St. Burial will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Police are continuing to investigate, and toxicology tests have been ordered by the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office. The family encourages anyone who may have seen Day and Taylor to call Crime Stoppers at 888-8477.

Both the dad & Day were married to other people the beginning of this year. Met while at work, a month or two after they divorced their others spouses, they were married. Apparently Taylor's mom didnt give Day permission to be the sole caretaker of the kid (she thought his dad was with them).

Day was an avid "outdoorsy" type - there are several pictures in local fisherman's magazines over her & the dad's trophy fish. She was trained in CPR as a result... she choose to take a 6 year-old's life jacket off in open water, then choose to drive 12 miles to a hospital.

Locally you realize to drive those 12 miles, you pass up at least 2 fire stations & a minor emergency facility. Nevermind NOT CALLING ANYONE - including emergency personnel.

CORPUS CHRISTI — A trial date has been set for March in a Corpus Christi woman’s capital murder case in connection with her stepson’s drowning.

Laura Lee Day, 47, was indicted Thursday on a charge of capital murder of a person under 10 years old, injury to a child with intent to cause serious bodily injury and endangering a child. She is charged in the drowning death of her stepson Taylor Syring, 6.

During Day’s arraignment Tuesday, one of her attorneys, David Stith, asked 94th State District Judge Bobby Galvan to expedite a jury trial. The trial has been set for March 25. Stith also mentioned that Day pleaded not guilty on all three counts.

Day faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty for the capital murder charge, 15 years to life in prison for the injury to a child charge, and five years to life in prison for the endangering a child charge.